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What is that P-Bass bite? (GAS attack)


Benjamin

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Listening to a few bands lately: The Tea Party, A Perfect Circle and others. I am hearing this nice gurgling sound, examples being TTP - Fire in the head, and APC - Judith (any song will do).

 

I am wondering exactly how I achieve that. I am almost there, but can't quite get the midrange right. I always prefer fresh RotoSounds to get that growl. Any frequencies I should emphasise?

 

Another way to describe the sound is the P-Bass THUNG. Strange I know. I think I am really gassing for a P even moreso now.

 

I know where there is a Tokia Hardpuncher P-Bass clone, going for around AUD$700. It is in really good condition, has vintage bridge and pickup covers. Doubt I could afford that in the short term. I am trying to avoid wanting another bass, really trying hard to get a P sound out of mine. I don't want to have to take 3 basses to every gig.

 

Why does it have to be so hard. I hate GAS :(

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I know exactly what you're talking about. In order to get that, you NEED to have fresh stainless steel rounds. (I like D'Addario ProSteels myself, though I used to use Rotos) You also need a quick attack, not necessarily hard (it can help though), and play right over the pickup or slightly towards the bridge. A bit of overdrive from a tube amp helps as well, or a GK with the boost all the way up, believe it or not.

 

If you also want some more of that P-bass bite, listen to The Who's Live at Leeds. Entwistle's using a P with fresh rotosounds, through cranked up hiwatt amps into Hiwatt 4x12s, with a quick heavy handed attack, and when using a pick, the tone is even more aggressive.

 

Don't worry about emphasizing specific frequencies, but low mids to get the muff, and slightly more subdued high mids for the real growl. Me? I use my Sunn with the bass at 1, mids & treble at 10, and that gets me a ton of growl. I use a seperate amp for the lows, however.

 

Also, I find just a hint of fretbuzz in the sound also seems to accentuate this growl. Just enough to hear, but not impact the sustain of the strings at all. A bit of extremely subtle vibrato also helps (i'm talking no more than a millimeter to each side of the string).

 

Hope this helps.

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Ox, you may be the only guy on here with "real" tone.

 

Heres my future setup:

 

Trebles/Highs --> Sound City Bass 150 --> SWR 8x8

 

Lows/Sub-Lows --> any thing with enough Watts --> 1x18 cab a club DJ used to gig with

 

I have the Sound City, SWR, and the 18 (sans speaker) already :p

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Originally posted by hish

Ox, you may be the only guy on here with "real" tone.


Heres my future setup:


Trebles/Highs --> Sound City Bass 150 --> SWR 8x8


Lows/Sub-Lows --> any thing with enough Watts --> 1x18 cab a club DJ used to gig with


I have the Sound City, SWR, and the 18 (sans speaker) already
:p

 

That sounds like a good setup, and it sounds similar to what I want:

 

Highs/Mids will go to an 8 x 10 and a 2 x15 Ampeg SVT cabs

Lows will go into 2 18 inch Ampegs

through separate, bridged B4s.

 

Guaranteed to set off car alarms.

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Originally posted by hish

Ox, you may be the only guy on here with "real" tone.


Heres my future setup:


Trebles/Highs --> Sound City Bass 150 --> SWR 8x8


Lows/Sub-Lows --> any thing with enough Watts --> 1x18 cab a club DJ used to gig with


I have the Sound City, SWR, and the 18 (sans speaker) already
:p

 

I'm tryin to score locally a Music Man 1x18 to match my HD130 (which I use for lows). After that, I'd like a 4x12 to go with the Sceptre. For now though, the rig does pretty good:

rigofdoom.jpg

 

Wanna trade that Sound City for my Music Man?

 

EDIT: Here are some clips of me playing through my rig, minus the sub amp.

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Using the MXR M-80 I don't doubt I could approximate the sounds you are achieving, with slightly different flavour of course.

 

The P samples I mentioned are a lot cleaner thanyour samples. I can't really tell where P bass starts and amp ends with your rig. That's not to say I don't like the sound, it is something I would use more sparingly :)

 

I guess I could just get the M-80 to assist with my P sound. I didn't think of that.

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Originally posted by Benjamin

Using the MXR M-80 I don't doubt I could approximate the sounds you are achieving, with slightly different flavour of course.


The P samples I mentioned are a lot cleaner thanyour samples. I can't really tell where P bass starts and amp ends with your rig. That's not to say I don't like the sound, it is something I would use more sparingly
:)

I guess I could just get the M-80 to assist with my P sound. I didn't think of that.

 

You'll still be able to tell it's me playing with a P-bass (or variant) through pretty much any rig. It's technique that counts for most of it.

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Originally posted by el_duderino676



That sounds like a good setup, and it sounds similar to what I want:


Highs/Mids will go to an 8 x 10 and a 2 x15 Ampeg SVT cabs

Lows will go into 2 18 inch Ampegs

through separate, bridged B4s.


Guaranteed to set off car alarms.

 

You want an 810, 215 and 2 18's?:eek:

 

Damn, you're going to need a bus and a road crew!;)

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Originally posted by The Ox



You'll still be able to tell it's me playing with a P-bass (or variant) through pretty much any rig. It's technique that counts for most of it.

 

Figured as much. I am always varying technique to coax particular sounds out. If you were to jump on a MM or T-40 for example, there would be a marked difference if you wre running clean.

 

I don't know what we're talking about now. I think I will experiment tonight with P tones and technique.

 

I either play closer to the bridge, to get a bite or above the neck pup, which gives me that fatter woofier tone. I have actually found another sound, I can switch between more P and less P (more typical soapbar) on the neck soapbar.

 

I gotta get my valve-driven biamp rig happening :cool:

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What I really wanna do is get that Fender TBP-1 preamp, send the lows to a Stewart World amp or something lightweight, and send the mids & highs to a Carvin or Peavey tube power amp. Use 18s for lows & 4x12s for mids & highs.

 

 

Mmm that'll be a ways down the road...

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Originally posted by The Ox



I'm tryin to score locally a Music Man 1x18 to match my HD130 (which I use for lows). After that, I'd like a 4x12 to go with the Sceptre. For now though, the rig does pretty good:


Wanna trade that Sound City for my Music Man?


EDIT:
Here
are some clips of me playing through my rig, minus the sub amp.

 

Ox, you rock :eek::cool::D

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Hey you hijackers!! :D

 

I am using a 4x10, which however deep, probably doesn't give that same P sound as maybe a 15 would.

 

Experimented last night with an altered curve, more mids worked a treat, much more P like, and didn't disturb the sounds for the MM pup overly. Also tuned the M-80 with more CLONK, sounds great when the distortion is kicked in too!

 

No need for a P right now :)

 

I do want to biamp though. All I have to do is find the right 12". Thinking Eminence, primarily because that is what is in my 4x10. Power handling will be in the order of 100-150W, possibly all valve or hybrid. Any suggestions?

 

If I can't find/build a valve power section, I may go an electronics shop mosfet power section and have a local guy build a valve preamp.

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Originally posted by bnyswonger



Meh.
:p

 

Don't be jealous, Bob. :p

 

Originally posted by Benjamin

Hey you hijackers!!
:D

I am using a 4x10, which however deep, probably doesn't give that same P sound as maybe a 15 would.


Experimented last night with an altered curve, more mids worked a treat, much more P like, and didn't disturb the sounds for the MM pup overly. Also tuned the M-80 with more CLONK, sounds great when the distortion is kicked in too!


No need for a P right now
:)

I do want to biamp though. All I have to do is find the right 12". Thinking Eminence, primarily because that is what is in my 4x10. Power handling will be in the order of 100-150W, possibly all valve or hybrid. Any suggestions?


If I can't find/build a valve power section, I may go an electronics shop mosfet power section and have a local guy build a valve preamp.

 

Believe me, MOSFETs sound nothing like tubes. Don't go by what Ampeg's mofset hype says about "tube sound & feel with solid state reliability."

 

If you want the full valve sound, your rig must be full of valves. ;D

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